UNHCR: Attacks on Ukraine aid workers surge as 136,000 flee since January

UNHCR called Monday for sustained international support for Ukraine as Russian strikes intensify ahead of winter, hitting energy infrastructure and driving internal displacement sharply higher.

Long-range missile and drone attacks are striking power systems and essential utilities across the country, the agency said, leaving no safe area for civilians even far from the front line. The strikes threaten prolonged electricity outages and severely restricted access to water.

Since January 2026, more than 136,000 evacuees have passed through UNHCR-supported transit centres — around 70% more than the roughly 80,000 who used those facilities throughout all of 2025. Nearly 40% of those displaced are elderly, and a significant number have disabilities. In total, 10.8 million people in Ukraine currently require humanitarian assistance.

UNHCR and its partners have also come under direct attack. Between 1 September and 14 October, ten security incidents struck agency staff or partner personnel, among them drone strikes and aerial bombardments on clearly marked humanitarian vehicles and warehouses.

UNHCR urged Russia to halt attacks on civilians and reiterated that humanitarian personnel and assets cannot be made targets.